The absence of forward OG Anunoby was felt all too much when the New York Knicks were blown out of the water by the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
Without their elite perimeter defender, Celtics star Jayson Tatum tore New York up for 40 points, providing one more indication of just how important the 27-year-old is to its championship hopes.
Anunoby has missed the last three games with what was initially described as a sprained foot but has since been clarified as more of a toe issue.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the injury is “more of an irritating injury, not something that’s structurally wrong or serious.”
His absence should not last much longer, with an expected return to the lineup coming after the 2025 NBA All-Star break this upcoming weekend. The Knicks have two more games before then, though, with back-to-back matchups against the Pacers in Indiana before a clash at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.
Reinforcements elsewhere in the frontcourt are on the way, too, with center Mitchell Robinson expected to start 5-on-5 play shortly, with the Knicks maintaining “a goal of before March 1” for his season debut, per Charania.
Robinson has been out all season after undergoing foot surgery in May. He also survived his name being circulated in multiple trade proposals before the league’s Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The Knicks opted not to take a swing at bringing in another big man to help the team’s depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns. Instead, they view Robinson as a mid-season acquisition.
“You guys can read the tea leaves,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said on Friday. “We like our team a lot. Obviously, we are excited about Mitch.”
When healthy, Robinson is an elite rebounder, especially on the offensive end, and rim protector, which will provide the Knicks with a reliable, proven option to lessen the load placed on Towns during the stretch run before the playoffs.
